24
September 2026

Restoring Woburn Abbey and its collections

Welcome to The Arts Society Woburn Area
Thursday, September 24, 2026 - 19:30
Aspley Guise Village Hall
9 Woburn Lane Aspley Guise MK17 8JH
Online Event

In November 2019 Woburn Abbey closed to visitors to undergo a generational programme of restoration and refurbishment which will ensure the survival of this remarkable house and collection for centuries to come. Works are still underway – the house has undergone a transformation – and when it reopens the collections, much of which will have been conserved, will be redisplayed to dramatic effect. The new presentation will showcase the history and development of Woburn Abbey from monastic times to the present day. Matthew will highlight some of the changes that can be expected, some of the intriguing discoveries that have been made along the way and give a flavour of what can be expected.

Matthew Hirst
Matthew Hirst is Curator of the Woburn Abbey Collection. He began his career at Waddesdon Manor. In 2007 he took up the new post of Head of Arts & Historic Collections for the Devonshire Collections, managing a major conservation programme and the representation of many of the historic interiors at Chatsworth. In 2015 Matthew moved to Woburn Abbey, and has since researched and developed a major representation and restoration of the house, marking the largest programme of works at the Abbey since it opened to the public in 1955. Matthew is also a trustee of the Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust and the Leche Trust.